Many pests, such as subterranean termites, present threats to building structures or other wood or cellulose containing structures such as trees, fence posts and the like. In particular, while subterranean termites primarily dwell in soil and often form large colonies, the members of a colony commonly forage for food above ground, consuming food located by the foraging termites and then returning to the colony or nest site and sharing the food with their nestmates. Termites, when foraging above-ground, often leave telltale signs of infestation, such as termite tunnels visible on exterior surfaces or, where the foraging is substantially within the interior of a structure, holes visible in the outer surface of the infested structure.
In-ground and above ground control devices or systems are known for monitoring and eliminating termite infestations. In-ground devices commonly comprise a housing that is placed down into soil with a monitoring food source disposed in the housing that is edible by termites and provided to encourage termites to feed within the housing. Once active feeding is indicated by the monitoring food source, it is replaced by an edible bait matrix containing a toxicant whereby the foraging termites consume portions of the toxicant-containing bait and return portions of the toxicant-containing bait back to the nest to thereby eradicate or suppress the infestation. Other known in-ground devices have an aggregation base or other attractant disposed in the housing along with a separate toxicant containing bait whereby the termites upon entering the housing locate the aggregation base, which encourages further foraging within the housing so that the termites find and consume the toxicant-containing bait. In contrast, above-ground termite control devices or systems consist of a station housing and a bait matrix containing a toxicant. These above-ground systems forego any monitoring phase and provide direct access to termites for readily feeding on a bait toxicant material.
While in-ground devices are readily located at a desired location by placing the housing down into the soil, above-ground termite stations must be mounted on a structure or other mounting surface at a particular location of infestation, such as along the termite tunnel or over a hole formed by the foraging termites in the structure. Conventional above-ground termite stations typically comprise some form of a housing containing the internal termite control components and one or more fasteners that extend through precise locating holes formed in an outer panel and an inner or base panel to secure the housing on the mounting surface. In particular, there is typically a single locating hole associated with each fastener to be used in mounting the termite station housing on the mounting surface. Effective locating of the termite station in the desired location on the mounting surface along the termite tunnel or over the visible opening in the structure requires a good site line through the housing to see the mounting surface behind the termite station. It also requires flexibility in positioning the fastener openings at locations which are stable (i.e., relatively undamaged) to provide the proper anchoring of the fastener in the mounting surface.
Because these conventional above-ground termite stations are typically closed or otherwise have few openings in the surface of the station that overlies the mounting surface it is often difficult for the user to see through the station onto the mounting surface to properly located the termite station. Moreover, the relatively few mounting openings shaped only for receiving a single fastener provides little flexibility to move, e.g., shift the termite station relative to the desired location and still be able to locate the fasteners in a stable location on the mounting surface. There is a need, therefore, for a termite station that provides a more accurate ability to properly locate the termite station on the mounting surface and/or provides increased flexibility in the range of locations along which the termite station may be mounted on the mounting surface while maintaining the termite station in the desired location relative to the termite tunnel or opening in the mounting surface.
It is also common that over time the various internal components of the housing, such as the toxicant-containing bait matrix, may require replacement. In some above-ground termite stations, the entire station must be removed and a new one mounted on the mounting surface at the same or approximate location. In another known termite station, the outer cover of the station may be removed and another station stacked on top of the existing station to provide additional bait. In yet another above-ground type station the bait matrix is a loose material that is packed into the station and when additional bait is needed it is either forced in around the feeding debris within the station or the station must be cleaned before additional bait can be added. There is a need, therefore, for a system that allows for a more efficient replacement procedure to replace consumed internal components of the termite station, maintains the established connection between termite foraging areas and the station housing, and one that combines a non-toxic feeding attractant with a toxicant containing bait matrix to encourage termite recruitment and feeding within the station housing.